The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention(s). It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art, or material, to the presently described or claimed inventions, or that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of life preservers and more specifically relates to wearable life preservers that feature closures in the back, as opposed to the front to prevent users from easily removing their life jackets, alleviating the risk of accidental drowning.
2. Description of the Related Art
The warmth of the summer season makes it the perfect time of year to indulge in all manners of outdoor activities. From playing a spirited game of volleyball on a sand-packed beach or lounging by the neighborhood pool to spending the day at the park or embarking on a camping adventure, people seek myriad ways to bask in this season's pleasantly balmy days and evenings. Perhaps no other summer pastime is more popular than riding the currents of a body of water in a floating vessel, or boat. Whether cutting through ocean waves on a luxurious yacht, navigating a placid lake on a pontoon, or steering a fishing boat down a lazy river, boaters are out on the water in record numbers come summer time, reveling in activities that are rife with sport, fun, and relaxation.
Even though recreational boaters are looking for nothing but fun when they head to the water, boating trips can sometimes turn to tragedy. According to alarming statistics provided by the United States Coast Guard, there are almost five thousand boating accidents in the U.S. each year; of this number, 3,000 people are injured and 700 die. Approximately seventy-two percent of the fatalities result from drowning, with eighty-eight percent of these victims not wearing life jackets. Obviously, wearing a life-preserving vest is of the utmost importance when boating, or entering into any body of water including backyard pools, if one is unable to swim. This is especially true for children, as they are the most at risk from unintentional drowning; in 2009, thirty percent of children ages one to four who died from unintentional injury succumbed to drowning.
Unfortunately, even if conscientious parents and caregivers outfit their children with life vests, the units are not infallible. Indeed, since the unit's snaps, zippers, and closures are positioned on the front, it is not difficult for a restless child, feeling hampered by the vest, to quickly remove the jacket; should this child fall from a boat or into a backyard pool, tragedy is sure to occur.
Various attempts have been made to solve the above-mentioned problems such as those found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,871,357 to Talia Herman et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,153 to J. Trevor Bailey; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,742,538 to E Us Smith. This prior art is representative of life preservers. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the invention as claimed.
Ideally, a life preserver should provide comfort, and ease of use and, yet would operate reliably and be manufactured at a modest expense. Thus, a need exists for a reliable safety vest system that features closures in the back to prevent users from easily removing their life jackets, alleviating the risk of accidental drowning and to avoid the above-mentioned problems.